Toxic effects of wastewater from various phases of monosodium glutamate production on seed germination and root elongation of crops

To make a comprehensive assessment on monosodium glutamate (MSG) wastewater pollution, a pollution exposure experiment was carried out on the seed germination and root elongation of wheat, Chinese cabbage and tomato by using the wastewater discharged from different processing phases of MSG production. The results showed that there were significantly positive linear relationships between the inhibitory rates of wheat seed germination and root elongation and the COD_cr of the mother liquor scraps. The toxicity of MSG wastewater to the test crops was in the order of tomato > Chinese cabbage > wheat, indicating that tomato was the most sensitive to the wastewater, and could be considered as an ideal toxic bioindicator. The half-effect concentrations (IC₅₀) based on the seed germination and root elongation of the test crops exposed to the wastewater discharged from various processing phases of MSG production was 22.0–32 432 and 17.3–3320 mg/L, respectively. Translated from Chinese Journal of Applied Ecology, 2006, 17(7): 1286–1290 [译自: 应用生态学报]     

呼和浩特市发电厂污染物综合治理与资源化利用技术研究

本文以呼市发电厂废水、粉尘和灰场污染治理为例，研究制定发电厂粉煤灰综合治理与回收利用技术方案、旧灰场的生态工程建设和冲灰水的回收利用方案，通过污染物治理，废水的利用率达到85％，粉煤灰处理后的产草量和年利用率为98％，灰场的植被覆盖度达到97％，通过治理使发电厂的污染物排放量减少，废弃物资源得以利用，灰场变成环境优美的生态旅游区，为我国电厂的治理工作提供一个切实可行的科学依据。     

Differential N uptake by maize cultivars and soil nitrate dynamics under N fertilization in West Africa

Nitrate is prone to leaching in the sandy soils of the West African moist savannas. Better management of nitrogen (N) resources and maize cultivars with enhanced genetic capacity to capture and utilize soil and fertilizer N are strategies that could improve N-use efficiency. In two field experiments conducted at Zaria, northern Nigeria, five maize (Zea mays L.) cultivars planted early in the season were assessed under various N levels for differences in N uptake, soil N dynamics, and related N losses. Cultivar TZB-SR accumulated more N in the aboveground plant parts in both years than the other cultivars. All, except the semi-prolific late (SPL) variety, met about 50–60% of their N demand by the time of silking (64–69 DAP). In both years, SPL had the greatest capacity to take up N during the grain filling period, and it had the highest grain-N concentration and the least apparent N loss through leaching in the second year. There were no significant differences in soil N dynamics among cultivars in both years. At harvest, the residual N in the upper 90 cm of the profile under all the cultivars ranged from 56 to 72 kg ha⁻¹ in the first year and from 73 to 83 kg ha⁻¹ in the second year. Apparent N loss from 0 to 90 cm soil profile through leaching ranged from 35 to 122 kg ha⁻¹ in both years. N application significantly increased N uptake by more than 30% at all sampling dates in the second year of the experiment, but had no effect on apparent N loss. Results indicate that the use of maize cultivars with high N uptake capacity during the grain filling period when maximum leaching losses occur could enhance N recovery and may be effective in reducing leaching losses of mineral N in the moist savanna soils.     

Thioindigo: Crystal structural data for modification II

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